This invention relates to an improvement of a vanity case having a receptacle member and a cover member hinged with each other and arranged to be latched by snap engagement of an elastic latch tongue.
In a known vanity case, such as a compact case, of the type set forth above, the elastic latch tongue as well as protrusion engagable therewith are integrally formed with the cover and receptacle members by plastic molding. These elastic latch tongue and the protrusion have to be formed to very precise dimensions, because, if the engagement between the latch tongue and the protrusion is too weak, the cover member of the vanity case will open accidentally. On the other hand, if the engagement therebetween is too firm, a relatively strong force has to be exerted to open the cover member, thereby causing trouble to the user. Accordingly, when molding the cover and receptacle members, the utmost attention has to be paid to the accuracy of the dimensions of the latch tongue and protrusion. However, inferior vanity cases having defective dimensions of the latch tongue and protrusion inevitably are formed at a relatively high percentage.
As an improvement of the defects set forth above, it has been proposed to provide a slider element which releases the snap engagement between the latch tongue and the protrusion when pushed in the horizontal direction. This structure has remarkable advantages that the above-mentioned engagement can be released very easily by a small pushing force, so that the latch tongue as well as the protrusion can be formed to engage firmly with each other without the necessity of high dimensional accuracy as required in the conventional vanity case. However, in the above proposed vanity case, the slider element is loosely fitted in a guide cavity or recess in the receptacle member or cover member, so that the slider element becomes shaky in the recess after releasing the engagement of the cover member from the receptacle member. Such a shaky movement of the slider element deteriorates a high-grade image of the vanity case.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to improve the above drawbacks and, thereby, to provide a vanity case in which a cover member can be opened very easily by a slider element without any shaky movement thereof in a recess in a receptacle member or cover member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vanity case of the type set forth above which is very simple in assembly and reliable in operation.